Crossed Paths
by Omega436
Summary: The Sole Survivor, Sentinel Simon Atwater, is sent on a mission in the Capital Wasteland, discovers the corpse of the Lone Wanderer. With the Citadel plagued with mysterious attacks and the Brotherhood rife with unrest, the Sentinel is forced to either save the Brotherhood and restore order or find the truth behind the mysterious events surrounding the death of the Vault Dweller.
1. Prologue

Crossed Paths

Day 1:

The Commonwealth is an unforgiving place. Everywhere you turn, you have enemies trying to make you their new trophy. What Preston said is true, you can never have too many friends out in the Commonwealth. So I took his advice and made lots of shiny new friends, the operative word being _shiny._ If you haven't already guessed, I'm talking about the Codex-carrying, Laser Rifle-packing, Latin-speaking Brotherhood of Steel.

I still remember exactly what happened. Paladin Danse desperately trying to take out Ferals, sending me on a mission to find the lost patrol, and yes, that fateful day when I stepped out of the Fort Hagen roof to find a giant airship flying into the Commonwealth. Kinda leaves an imprint. This was my chance to be something.

After all this time, I'm still not sure what galvanized me to step on that vertibird and head to the Prydwen. I think at the time, I was thinking "Power Armor! Yes!" I talked with Kells, met all of the Proctors, assisted Maxson- sorry, _Elder_ Maxson, and I was sent on my way to assist the Brotherhood.

I proved myself to be their greatest weapon. I was promoted from Knight to Paladin, and then from Paladin to Sentinel. Apparently the highest rank next to Elder. I remembered a Scribe telling me about someone in the Capital Wasteland with that title. Suzy? Sasha? I don't remember.

I was an asset to the Brotherhood. They needed me, and a lot of people told me. I figured they were going to just let me be on my way. I'm shocked at the news a Paladin gave me.

"Sentinel. Pack your gear, weapons and essentials. You and three other Paladins are going to the Capital Wasteland."

As I sit here, typing these words into a log, I'm filled with fear, determination, and most of all, a sense of curiosity. Everyone on the Prydwen had to adapt to the Commonwealth, something hard to do. I've seen the Commonwealth at her worst. How bad can the Capital Wasteland be? Time to get a few hours of sleep. By the next update, I'll be in the land of D.C!

Author's Note:  
Hi there! Thank you so much for choosing to read my story. Please read on, it does get better. (I think it does. If you hate it, well that's your decision I guess.) Anyways, if you enjoy the story, please give it a review or a favorite! If you don't like the story and have some suggestions on what you think I could do to make it better, please leave a review or PM me. That's pretty much it! Thanks again!  
-Omega


	2. Chapter 1: Here Lies the Wanderer

LOG ENTRY:  
DAY 4:

The Capital Wasteland is very… green. The sky is tinted a strange shade of puke-green here. Must be the radiation here.

I landed in the Capital Wasteland an hour ago, after 15 times to stop and refuel the vertibird. Good God. The three Paladins introduced themselves as Lizzie, Alex, and Matthew. They told me they were from the Capital Wasteland and our first step should be to locate the Citadel. A quick check on my Pip-Boy revealed that I didn't have the map of the Capital Wasteland, so I was basically blind. Great.

More to update later when I find the Citadel and download a map to my Pip-Boy.  
*LOG TERMINATED*

I walked past an old power pylon and surveyed the surroundings. I didn't see anyone ahead, so I forged on. As I walked, I asked Lizzie if she could tell me about the Citadel.

"The Citadel is a fortified compound where the Capital Brotherhood lives. I believe it was built from the ruins of the… Pentagon, I think." Lizzie looked up at me.

"The PENTAGON!?" I yelled, stopping dead in my tracks.

"What, you know it?" Lizzie quipped.

"Long story, but yes." I responded and kept walking.

The four of us continued walking. It was mostly silent until Matthew yelled, "DEATHCLAW!"

We immediately turned and opened fire on the deathclaw. It ran towards Alex and raked its claws across his armor. His helmet went flying and he fell to the ground. Matthew and Alex both assaulted the deathclaw. I pulled out Desdemona's Railway Rifle and put it down with a railway spike between its eyes.

"You alright, Alex?" I asked. "That was a pretty rough strike."

"I'm fine, a stimpak should do it. Can anyone find my helmet?" Alex responded.

Lizzie went up and handed Alex his helmet. "Let's go," she said firmly.

We reached the Citadel by nightfall.

We said to Paladin Bael at the gate that we were dispatched by Elder Maxson of the Commonwealth. We were let through with a minimum of fuss.

Initiates were training aboveground when we walked in.

"I think the Elder is looking for you," one Initiate said, clearly awestruck.

We thanked her and headed to the A ring of the Citadel. We passed the Armory and had a quick peek. I noticed that weapons in the Commonwealth seemed to be a little more advanced. I was curious as to why. We noticed that floating in a stasis chamber at the back wall was a single T-45d Power Torso, missing the helmet.

"That's… That's Sarah's," explained the Quartermaster. "She and the Wanderer were dispatched to fight a brutal battle… Project Purity's culmination. They were trying to provide clean water for the Wastes, but…"

"Hey, hey… It's alright... " I said soothingly to the young quartermaster, tears in her eyes.

"She was one of the greatest Sentinels who ever lived… and that Wanderer… he should've been the one to do it."

"Do what?" asked Alex and Matthew in unison.

"Sacrifice himself. His dad activated the purifier but flooded it with radiation to stop the Enclave. To finish it, someone would have to sacrifice themselves. Sarah offered, and the Wanderer stood by and let her kill herself. He should've been the one to do it! It was HIM!" the quartermaster screamed.

"So, the Wanderer let Sarah sacrifice herself in place of him?" I asked, weighing the morality of the act in my head.

The quartermaster nodded, pointing to a set of stairs. "That leads to the lab. You'll find all kinds of tech there, including ones belonging to Sentinel Lyons, the deceased Elder Lyons, and one Squire Maxson.

"Maybe later," I declined, choosing instead to ask where we could find the Elder.

"He's in his quarters, on the lower level," was the reply.

Lizzie, Alex and Matthew sighed heavily once we were out of earshot.

"That... incident is a very rough wound for the Brotherhood. Honor before death, we understand, but… it's all that Vault Dweller's fault. He should've done it himself," they said.

"Where can I find this Vault Dweller?" I inquired.

"Beats me. He just kinda roams around. Maybe Reilly's Rangers or Lucas Simms in Megaton can help." Matthew said.

The four of us walked down towards the Elder's Quarters and Council Room. We noticed the Council Room was in session, so we headed towards there. We stepped through and noticed 6 people sitting at a half-circle table. One sat at the back, in a big chair.

The 6 stood up and said, "Welcome to the Citadel. We'd like you to meet Elder Cross."

Cross stood from his chair and walked down to us. "So you're the ones Maxson sent," was all she said.

"Not much for conversation, is she?" I mused.

One Paladin said, "You caught her at a rough time. We're plagued by some serious incidents here in the Capital Wasteland.

"I think that's why we're here," I pointed out.

"Paladin Kodiak. My real name's Greg Bear," another Paladin said, introducing himself. "We don't have the entire briefing done quite yet, so we aren't ready for you to start. Why don't you take a few hours off, familiarize yourself, meet everyone… Oh, speaking of, these are Paladins Glade and Vargas." He pointed to two Paladins eyeing us carefully.

"These three are Knight-Captains Dusk, Colvin, and Gallows," Kodiak said, gesturing at the remaining three who had backed away.

"Anyways, I'll see you in a few hours."

I decided to go for a walk around. I told myself I wouldn't be too long. I passed a Hubris Comics on my walk which got me thinking about Grognak the Barbarian and how they weren't gonna be made anymore.

After wandering around aimlessly, I spotted a glint of steel at the bottom of a ditch. I peered down and saw it was a Brotherhood operative. What was strange about this one, was the unusually good gear he was carrying, things like Nuka-Grenades, a Dart Gun, and a sweet sniper called the Victory Rifle. Another thing I noticed was he was wearing a suit of T-51b Power Armor, supposedly rare in the Capital Wasteland. Odd.

I took his holotag to return to the Citadel when I noticed a note lying on his chest. It simply read:

"Here lies the Wanderer."


	3. Chapter 2: The Brotherhood's Troubles

LOG ENTRY

DAY 5:

I've discovered the remains a Brotherhood operative near Hubris Comics, southwest of the Citadel. I gave the holotag to a scribe, where he looked at it and told me it was the Wanderer's.

The minute he said that name the Citadel erupted.

Knights, Scribes, and Paladins rushed out to the site I found it. There they found his corpse. It was a surprisingly mixed reaction. Some cheered, some high-fived, others were silent. I noticed a couple knights take off their helmets in either respect or somber celebration.

I was called in to see Elder Cross later that day. She was remarkably straightforward. She said to me, "You need to understand the mixed reactions about _him_. The Wanderer was a hero. I assisted his father, and his death pained me dearly. I hoped to make up the loss by assisting his son, the one you called the Wanderer. It is my fervent belief that he was a good man. I don't know what caused him to ask Sarah to die for the cause, but I know that Sarah wouldn't feel right letting him do it either."

I simply nodded, trying to work out whether this man was a hero or a villain.

"What's done is done. Is there anything you'd like to add, or may we carry on to why you were originally sent here?" Elder Cross asked.

"I, uh, I found this note on him," I ventured carefully. I let her look at it. She looked at the note.

"Did you fail to notice the G on the back?" Cross asked pointedly.

"Let me see- ohhhh…" I said. "Well, what does it mean?"

"I think this killing was the work of an assassin," Cross answered. "It's not the Talon Company. Talon Company doesn't leave calling cards. This could be the work of Gabriel."

"Who?" I responded.

"Gabriel is an assassin. The best, in fact. He changes hideouts every so often and none of us have been able to track him down. He's most likely the killer."

"Thank you, Elder Cross. Now I believe you had some business for me?" I asked, trying to change the subject as this was all too familiar.

'"The Citadel isn't as powerful as it once was. Sure, we have operatives in the field, and the Jefferson Memorial as a backup, but Super Mutant and Raider attacks are getting more frequent. We need some more soldiers, more defense, or best of all, an anti-personnel defense machine.

I stupidly agreed to find some parts to make an anti-personnel defense machine. I barely knew what it was, never mind how to make it.

Going to bed now. More updates later.

LOG TERMINATED.

I rolled out of bed with a bad feeling. I stopped off at the armory before I left and bought some ammunition. Thank God they still have the same currency, I was worried. I hopped into my Power Armor and headed towards Ralph's Auto Wreckage, where it was rumored I'd find a Pulse Generator. What Cross failed to tell me was that Ralph's Auto Wreckage was halfway across the wastes. It took me a long time, but I finally reached my destination.

I searched the inside, looking around the site. I found Ralph's safe and picked it, hoping I'd find what I was looking for, but no. Just some Pre-War money and a pistol. I was about to give up when I noticed a small switch on the wall. I figured it would just activate some machine that dismantled cars, but a hidden panel opened up in the wall leading to a hidden basement.

The dank underbelly of the basement quickly gave way to a hidden laboratory as I walked down a corridor. It turns out that Ralph was an aspiring scientist and was trying to find an alternative source of power for cars that would last longer, which is why he made an auto wreckage place so he could test his creations. I found the Pulse Generator in a locked case on a table. As I went to pick it up, the lights were suddenly killed. When they turned back on, I was face-to-face with 6 Raiders, all encircling me and pointing their weapons.

While I'm fairly confident in my own abilities I still think 6 against 1 isn't very fair or easy. I put the case down, and dropped my weapon I was carrying at the time, Righteous Authority.

One of the Raiders whom I assumed was the leader picked up the gun and said, "Ohhh yes! This'll be a real treat!"

Another said, "If you move, we blast you to pieces. Now hand over everything you're carrying."

Raiders clearly seem to want everything. They also don't seem to be capable of thinking about what happens if you try to mug the wrong guy.

Under the pretense of pulling out a weapon to give to them, I secretly pulled out a Nuka-Grenade. I said "You know, I really love Nuka-Cola…" and threw the grenade on the ground. I then ran as far away as I could.

The last thing I saw before I crashed into a wall was a giant blue explosion and 6 Raiders flying through the air.

I turned around and immediately relieved the Raiders of their bottlecaps, ammunition, and in the leader's case, Righteous Authority. I walked up the stairs and out of Ralph's Auto Wreckage. I was back at the Citadel before long.

I handed the Pulse Generator to Elder Cross when I arrived.

"This helps us a lot," she said. "Was it difficult?"

"Not overly," I said, grinning. "Let's just say some people don't like Nuka-Cola that much."


	4. Chapter 3: Payment on Completion

User "Gabriel" signed in

*Access Log Entries

LOG ENTRY

March 27, 2287

Another job done yesterday. Some hotshot Brotherhood agent who thinks he's top shelf. Probably didn't feel too good after a bullet from Amelia pierced his skull. I haven't been in the wasteland a long time, but this place is a lot better than the Carolina wastes. Finding shelter is a bit difficult, but I have some friends I can stay with. I have food and I can kill anyone who comes within a hundred yards. Actually, I think it was about 100 yards from the rooftop to the guy's brain. The guy who ordered the kill wanted a note with "Here lies the Wanderer" written on it. That makes no sense to me, but in the end I'm the guy with caps in my pocket.

Think I'll do a bit more scavenging tomorrow. I can't go to a lot of settlements here because everyone knows my profession. Maybe trade with some Raiders? I'm not sure yet.

LOG TERMINATED.

April 12, 2287

Ranger Compound

"Hey! Let me in!" I yelled, banging on the door to the compound. Super Mutants were behind me and I was doing my best to keep them at bay. I decided the best way to get in was to feign helplessness.

"Please!" I screamed, doing my best to make my voice quaver. "I don't have a lot of ammo and they're almost at the door! Please help me!"

I guess I'm a more convincing actor than I thought. The door opened and I ran in. I was immediately face-to-barrel with a minigun.

"What the… You don't look helpless!" the girl holding the minigun yelled. "Reilly! Donovan! Get over here!"

A man and a woman came around a corner and immediately pointed their guns at me. "Why are you here and how'd you get in?" the woman demanded.

"It's ok. I'm not here to hurt anyone, ok? Look." I put my gun down on the floor carefully.

"That is a really nice suit of Power Armor," I heard the girl with the minigun say under her breath.

"Brick!" scolded the man. "He could be here to kill us!"

"I'm right here, and I'm not going to kill you guys. I need some information from you."

The woman, whom seemed to be in charge said, " You need info? Well we need a lot of things. What can you do for us?"

"Can't you just do it out of the kindness of your heart?" I pleaded. All of them laughed.

"Will 200 caps cover it?" I asked.

The woman nodded. "Now what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a man that came by here. I don't know his name, everyone just called him the Wanderer. I think he stopped by here, or joined you…"

"The hotel! Remember that, Reilly?" Donovan said.

"Oh.. my God… Yes, yes I do know him. He hasn't been by in a while. I sent him on a mission a while ago," Reilly said, looking at the floor.

"Is there any other place you know I could get info on him?" I asked.

"You could try Megaton. I think he had a house there, but who knows anymore," Brick spoke up.

"Sorry we couldn't be of more help. If you want to come back, our door will be open. Here's the passcode," Donovan responded, handing me a slip of paper with the code on it.

"And… and here you go," said Reilly, handing me back my caps I gave her.

"Thank you for your help," I said as I walked to the door. "Oh, and Rangers? I'm sorry for your loss."

"Loss? We haven't had any Rangers killed in a while. We've been holding back the Muties quite well as of late. Who died?" Reilly answered quizzically.

"The Wanderer did," I answered as I walked out of Ranger Compound.

As I walked west towards Megaton, I was very grateful I had a map. The Capital Wasteland is very open and very difficult to navigate when dark. As I pressed on, my fervent wish that bloatflies and mole rats didn't exist grew ever more fervent with every single one I killed. I arrived in Megaton wearing a robe made from all of the hides of the mole rats and bloatflies I killed. I said aloud, "Hail the King of the Wasteland pests!"

OK, I didn't REALLY do that last part, but I really did wish they didn't exist. In any case, I arrived at Megaton and was shocked.

"This is one of the Capital Wasteland's BEST cities!?" I exclaimed. "It looks like a scrapyard!"

"It was made with pieces of an airplane scrapyard, so it IS one. And if you don't like our city, I would kindly ask you to leave," a man with a sheriff's badge and an outfit similar to Preston's said to me.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I'm from the Commonwealth, so everything is very new here to me." I responded sheepishly.

"I shouldn't have been harsh with you. I didn't know you've never been here before." He stuck out a hand. "Harden Simms. I'm the second generation sheriff here in Megaton. I took over since my Papa died."

"I'm… sorry to hear that," I said as I shook his firm hand.

"Not a problem. My pa was a hero! A whole bunch of Raiders tried to take over Megaton, but my pa and a bunch of other people here got together and stopped them. My pa was killed trying to save another man from a grenade. It's thanks to him that Megaton is still standing."

"Your dad sounds like a great guy," I said earnestly.

"He was. Thanks so much. Now, anyways, what brings you to Megaton? Are you here for a place to rest, get some food in you or a long, stiff drink?" Harden chuckled to himself.

"I'm actually looking for a man. Wore a suit of Power Armor, went by the name 'The Wanderer'?" I asked.

Harden chuckled. "Yes, yes! That man is a hero. He defused that bomb laying in the centre of town!"

"Wait, that thing was still live!?" I said incredulously. "I thought that was just a decoration! A sick, twisted decoration!"

"Why do you think the town's called Megaton?" Harden asked.

It was a lot to process. The horrors of that fateful day were rushing back to me. The flash, the screaming, Shaun and Nora… Oh God, Nora…

I still ask why. I still ask why Vault-Tec would do this. How they could do such horrible things.

"Are… you ok?" Harden asked sympathetically.

"I'm fine, it's just… I'm from a Vault. Pre-war. They cryogenically froze us in these pods. I'm the only survivor. Seeing that bomb made me think a lot of people would want to blow it up."

Harden nodded. "That Wanderer was from a Vault too. Vault 101. Just north of here. Anyways, you're looking for info on him. Well, he stopped in town about 3 weeks ago. Stopped off at his house and grabbed some stuff, then stopped off at Moira's. Here are his keys. You're welcome to search the house, but please return everything to the way you found it."

I unlocked the door and stepped inside his house. I don't know what I was expecting to find, but it was underwhelming. I guess I'm used to building my own houses, cause this one was small. He obviously had a theme for his house. Pre-war. Old books lined the walls, it was a very tidy domestic scene. I went upstairs to his room and found in a filing cabinet his collection of weapons. Boy, did he have a lot of them. I found a note on his desk. All it read was:

"1000 caps. Payment to be delivered upon completion of job. Clear out Raiders from Alexandria Arms. May be in possession of explosive weaponry, proceed with caution."

Obviously he was on a mission to clear out some place.

"Can I assist you with something, sir?" a robotic voice asked.

"C-Codsworth?" I asked tentatively.

"Ah, very close, good sir. It's Wadsworth. I am the personal butler to the owner of this house. May I fetch you a snack, or something to drink?"

"No thanks, Wadsworth, not right now. I'm looking for the man who lived here. Can you tell me where he went?"

"Oh, I'm sorry sir but I don't know. He hasn't been home for three weeks. Last I remember him he was going to see Miss Brown down at Craterside Supply. Have you… heard from him at all?"

"Not really. Thanks anyways." I walked out of the house and down to Craterside Supply.

I entered in a puff of smoke. There was a woman in a RobCo jumpsuit waving her arms trying to clear out the smoke.

"Hey! Don't mind the smoke, it's perfectly *cough* harmless. Really!" she said as I walked through.

"You must be Moira," I said, grinning.

"Why, yes I am! Welcome to Craterside Supply! Anything I can help you with?" she said cheerily.

"I'm looking for a man. Suit of Power Armor, left town about three weeks ago? Stopped by here to pick up supplies?" I inquired.

"Oh, the Wanderer! My devoted research assistant! When he first arrived here, he helped me on a bunch of missions to help write the Wasteland Survival Guide!" she exclaimed brightly.

"The Wasteland Survival Guide? I have copies of some entries down in the Commonwealth," I explained.

"You're from the Commonwealth? Wow, like where that android synth was from?" Moira asked.

"The Institute makes the synths? Are you telling me one escaped over here?" I asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes. The Wanderer helped him out! A man came all the way from the Commonwealth to get him! His name was Zimmer. The Wanderer told me all about it. Zimmer wanted to find the synth, so the Wanderer tracked the synth down. Apparently he was a synth designed for tracking escaped synths! Kind of ironic, eh? Yeah, but then the Wanderer let the synth go free. He didn't tell Zimmer. I believe the designate was A3-21." Moira looked happy that she got to retell the story.

I had some brief flashes of my brief time in the Institute.

"Zimmer's the leader of this division. He's on a special operation right now."

I remember giving the holotape from the Institute to Elder Maxson and looking at it later. Among the names I saw one A3-21.

"Crazy," I said. "But can you help me? I'm looking for the Wanderer. Did he tell you anything about his last mission?"

"Yes, he did. He said he was going to clear out some Super Mutants or something like that. Why? Is he hurt?"

"Worse. He's dead. I found him just south of the Citadel. I think he was assassinated by someone.

A cry of grief escaped Moira's mouth. "But.. but.. how!? No!" she wailed.

"I don't know. I think he was killed by a man named Gabriel, but I'm investigating the circumstances and details of his last mission."

"A-Alexandria Arms. That was where he was headed," she sobbed.

"Thank you, Moira. I'm sorry that he's gone." I said softly and left Craterside Supply.

I walked up the hill to the main gate.

"What on Earth did you get yourself into, Wanderer," I muttered as I left.


	5. Chapter 4: A Solid Lead

User "Elder Maxson" signed in.

April 16th, 2287.

Things to do:  
-talk to Quinlan about upgrading security on my terminal. More and more threats to my privacy.  
-find reactor coolant for Ingram.

-talk to Ingram about upgrading my battlecoat.

-finish paint-by-numbers

The Sentinel contacted me this afternoon. Told me the Citadel was beginning to be properly defended, but he still preferred the Prydwen. I've taught him well. On a distressing note, he found the corpse of the one who let Sarah die. I don't care what Star Paladin Cross says, he is not a hero. He could have done it himself! Or why not let his friend, the Super Mutant do it!

God, Sarah. I miss you so much.

LOG TERMINATED.

April 16th, 2287.

Alexandria Arms.

I am going to die here. I am going to be chopped into little pieces, and killed.

"Oh, it's just some Super Mutants! How hard can they be?" I am so STUPID sometimes!

Ok, deep breaths. What can I do. The Super Mutants got the jump on me outside Alexandria Arms. They shot out my armor's Fusion Core, so the armor is worthless. I hightailed it away, but they still have everything I need. Ok. So, here's what I need to do.

1\. Calm down.

2\. Get my bearings.

3\. Find my armor and weapons. Should be stashed somewhere.  
4\. Track down the Fusion Cores.  
5\. Get back to the Citadel.

6\. Talk to Lizzie, Alex, or Matthew and get them to come with me.  
7\. Find out what happened to the Wanderer.

I approached stealthily towards Alexandria Arms. There were two Super Mutants standing nearby, but I wrestled away one's Super Sledge and made short work of them. I got even closer and surveyed the area. I was to the southwest of the building. A massive tent was sprawled out to the northeast, very close to Alexandria Arms.

"Bah! Stupid human armor! Doesn't fit!" one Super Mutant screamed in rage, pounding on my Power Armor.

"Ahaha! More loot for the stash!" another very menacing-looking Super Mutant yelled with glee, walking to the tent.

Target confirmed.

I snuck over to the tent. Various Super Mutants were walking around. I opted not to engage them, and snuck to the left of the tent. I was walking forward when I heard the mutant say,

"I heard a noise… Where is that noise!? Show yourself!"

Stealth is not my strongest suit. I sighed and ran out in front of the tent and started swinging the sledge like a deranged killer.

The Super Mutant was caught off guard, but recovered quickly. He pulled out his hunting rifle and fired a few rounds at me. I put all of my strength into my next attack and delivered the home-run swing right to his head. The mutant screamed in agony as he died. I figured that gave me 2 minutes before more mutants came to turn me into pulp.

I began digging through the stash and pulled out everything belonging to me. I managed to dig out everything just as 4 Super Mutants burst through the tent.

"DIE, HUMAN!" they all chorused.

I was prepared for that. I pulled out Kellogg's pistol and turned their heads into pulp with four pulls of the trigger. I began to look around. My fusion cores were not in the stash. I figured the leader must have had them, which meant to save my armor, I was gonna have to go into the belly of the beast.

I resigned myself to the idea and ran into the building.

"Fusion cores! Perfect for power!" one Super Mutant Butcher was saying as I entered. I ran after him, trying to dodge the bullets that whipped past me.

I was closing the distance between the two of us when he spun around and faced me.

"Human! You want these Fusion Cores?" he growled. When I nodded, he said "Fine! If you can bring me a powerful gun, I'll give you these Fusion Cores!"

I surreptitiously drew Kellogg's pistol out. I held it out to him. "You mean like this one?" I asked.

"Yes! I want that!"

"Oh, this is a special pistol," I said enticingly. "It has a very special ability."

"What's that ability!?" the mutant yelled.

"It only kills idiots," I said with a straight face, and shot him in the head. The Super Mutant fell with a thud. A quick search gave me the Fusion Cores I was looking for. It took me a few magazines to take out the rest of the Super Mutants, but after I was finished I ran outside and slammed a core into my armor. Bingo. With my armor, weapons and pride relatively intact, I ran back to the Citadel.

When I arrived at the Citadel, Lizzie ran up to me and said, "Sentinel! Sentinel! I have some great news for you! Can you meet me in the mess hall soon?"

I took off my helmet and said, "You don't have to yell, Lizzie. The helmet doesn't make me deaf. And yes, I can meet you. I have to talk to you, anyways."

Lizzie ran off to the mess hall. I could hardly believed she was a Paladin. I seemed very convinced most Paladins didn't believe in fun, or things other than technology or the Brotherhood. I walked towards the mess hall, where Lizzie was waiting for me. I sat down.

"Ok ok ok!" Lizzie began. "So, I sent a message to Quinlan asking for correspondence tapes, you know, so I could talk to my friends in the Commonwealth, and they came in today!"

"That's great Lizzie, but what does it have to do with me? How is this great news?" I asked curiously.

"Well, Quinlan sent some messages to you as well! Some of your friends in the Commonwealth miss you. He asked me to give them to you." Lizzie was beaming.

"Thanks so much, but… how is this great news? Do you have anything newsworthy to tell me?" I asked, a little annoyed.

Lizzie's face fell, and she looked sheepishly at me. "I… Um… well…" she sputtered. "Is it warm in here, or..?"

"Lizzie. What did you do. What happened?" I asked resolutely.

"I looked into your investigation files," Lizzie admitted. "I examined your files on the Lone Wanderer and cross-referenced them with the Citadel's.

"How could you possibly gain access to do that sort of thing! Isn't that limited to Head Scribes?" Lizzie's face looked crestfallen. "No… no you didn't!" I exclaimed.

"Ok! I… I… I hacked into a Scribe's terminal…" Lizzie said. I noticed a few tears were forming.

I stood up. "Let's talk somewhere a little less public, and a place where you're less likely to get thrown out." We walked down into the quarters. "Here," I said. "Now spill."

Lizzie had since stepped out of her armor. She almost collapsed against my armor and started bawling. "Ok, ok! I'm sorry! It's just, I was so excited to be here and the wasteland is cool and it's my first time away from the Commonwealth and I was excited and scared and I wanted to help you out and I thought I was doing the right thing!" she wailed.

An Initiate noticed her bawling and came over to investigate. "She's homesick," I ventured quickly before she could tell him the whole truth too. The Initiate nodded and walked away.

Lizzie stopped crying and said in a cracky voice, "I hacked into a head scribe's terminal. I wanted to help, I really did. I didn't think it was wrong… at least, I didn't then. I wanted to help you out cause you're a Sentinel, and you get to do the cool missions, and I'm super jealous of you…"

"Lizzie, Lizzie…" I said softly, choosing my words carefully. "It's OK. I'm not going to tell anyone. I'll keep it a secret, I promise. Just- please ASK if you want to help next time!"

She nodded, still crying slightly. "I found data on an intelligent Super Mutant. Fawkes, I think his name was. He was with the Wanderer when he and Sarah took back the Jefferson Monument from the Enclave. He was the Wanderer's companion. I bet he could have some answers."

"That's… actually a really good lead…" I said, stunned. "Thanks, Lizzie. I mean it!" I said as I walked towards my own guest quarters.

"Anything for you," I heard Lizzie sigh happily.

Back in my own quarters, I took the holotapes given to me and put them in the terminal. There were four, from a few of my good friends.

The first was Nick Valentine.

"Hey there. Hope you're doing alright over there in the Capital Wasteland. I know it's probably different over there, but I have faith in you. Things are well over here. The agency's still in business, Sanctuary's a thriving settlement, and things seem to be brighter. I have one important piece of advice for you over there: Always hang on to your good spirit. People like you are hard to come by, and that's why good-spirited people are the ones that go far. Let me know when you're back in the Commonwealth. You'll have to tell me all about DC."

The second was from Piper. I recognized her warm, soft tones immediately. I smiled.

"Hey, Blue. How're you doing over there? You holding up alright? Remember to not let your head get big just because you get all the cool missions. Not much has happened over here. The paper's doing alright. We haven't had many new stories lately, though. Hopefully that'll change once you get back. Nat got another detention, so that's the same. Oh, by the way some people in Diamond City wanted to wish you all the best over there and a safe return. Look me up when you get back, Blue. I'm looking forward to publishing your adventures in the Capital Wasteland."

The third one was from Preston Garvey

"Well, it's the big-shot Brotherhood Sentinel! Hope you're fine out in the Capital Wasteland. Everyone in Sanctuary's wishing you good luck and safety. Sturges found a way to upgrade the power output so we have increased efficiency. You should look forward to some new weapon mods when you get back. Preston out."

The fourth was said to be from Curie, but when I played the tape it clearly was not. A man's voice played on the speaker instead.

"Don't stick your nose where it isn't wanted. Drop the investigation and do what you've been ordered to do. Isn't that how all Brotherhood soldiers work? They follow orders until someone yanks the wool out from under their eyes? You'd do well to head back to the Commonwealth. In the event you decide to stay, just be careful who you make friends with. There's a very dark cloud hanging over the Brotherhood. Trust no one."


	6. Chapter 5: Gabriel Jefferson

Gabriel Jefferson never knew he would be the Capital Wasteland's most feared contract killer, until the position seemed to be thrust upon him. Opportunity knocked, and Gabriel opened the door and invited him in. Gabriel understood the concepts of good and bad, they were just irrelevant. All that mattered was that he got paid. It didn't matter if he was putting down a saint or a sinner, as long as he felt the caps jingle in his pocket. His first kill happened 19 years ago, at the age of 16.

19 years ago

Near Rivet City

Gabriel's best friend had been kidnapped. They had left a note: 3500 caps by sundown in 72 hours, or his best friend would die. Gabriel didn't know what to do. Something inside him was calling him to get even. He made a plan

Gain access to Rivet City. Pose as a visitor. Kill Jerome Mills.

Jerome Mills was a trader. He sold all kinds of weapons to the shadiest types of people. He was staying in Rivet City for a few days before saddling up his caravan and heading off to who-knows-where. He had kidnapped Gabriel's friend. Gabriel was going to find out where he was being held and when he was done, kill him.

He walked up the deck to where the bridge would be extended. "Permission to come aboard, sir?" Gabriel asked in a fake meek voice.

"We'll be watching you," the security guard said, and the bridge swung to meet him.

Gabriel walked on board and headed to the upper deck, where Jerome's hotel room was. He noticed a security patrol walking by and was struck with an idea. He ran up to the guard and said, "Please help! Something's happened, come quick!" The guard and Gabriel dashed off and once they were out of the hallway Gabriel slammed the guard to the ground and grabbed the guard's pistol. A single bullet was all he needed. Gabriel disguised himself as a Rivet City guard and walked towards Jerome's door. He banged on the door forcefully.

"Rivet City Guard. Open up."

The door opened a crack, and Gabriel walked in. He then closed the door behind him. He drew the gun and pressed it up against Jerome's head.

"Where is he!?" Gabriel demanded.

"He's being held in an encampment 10 miles east of here," Jerome said nervously, backing away.

Gabriel made the mistake of lowering his gun for a second. Jerome rushed him and grabbed the gun. Kicking Gabriel back, Jerome pointed the gun at Gabriel. To Gabriel's surprise, he whipped the gun around and shot himself in the knee.

"HELP! SECURITY! I'VE BEEN SHOT!" Jerome screamed as he collapsed.

Gabriel knew he could escape if he left right then. The urge was back, and it filled him with a want he couldn't say no to. He grabbed the gun and shot Jerome fatally through the heart. He then ran away.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, filled with a mixture of exhilaration and regret. He bolted for a back door, leading to a service hatch. He crawled up the ladder leading to the roof. He surveyed his surroundings. He assumed he could lose them if he ran into the back alleyways in the nearby shops.

"Freeze!" the security yelled as 3 guards enclosed him in a half-circle. He began to back closer to the edge.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Jerome Mills," spat the guard.

In the midst of his speech, Gabriel glanced behind him, and let himself fall off the edge of Rivet City. The guards looked down and saw a faint ripple and bubbles rising to the surface. One guard noticed a figure and fired warning shots.

Gabriel swam out of the murky water and began to inch toward the back alleyways, ducking into a nearby one to avoid the bullets. He almost had a heart attack when a figure approached him and lit a cigarette.

"I'm very impressed with you, Gabriel," said the figure.

Gabriel had his gun drawn and pointed at the figure. "Who are you?" Gabriel asked, trying to conceal the fear in his voice.

"Jerome Mills," answered the shady figure.

"I-i-impossible! I shot you! Him! Whoever it was? Who was it?" Gabriel sputtered.

"A well-paid man. Also, now a dead one, as evident. I hired him to masquerade as me, so I could study you and your response to threats," said Jerome.

"Where's my friend?!" asked Gabriel, still holding his gun.

"He has been released. No doubt he should soon contact you. As of right now, I have a… proposition of sorts."

Gabriel responded with, "I'm not sure I like where this is headed."

"You have a gift. In the wastes, there's a lot of unsavory characters. I'm offering you to help purge this place clean," Jerome said evenly.

"Are you asking me to become your hitman?" Gabriel shot back.

"Not of that sort; more of a contract killer. I'll meet with the contacts, discuss payment and method of operation, and you carry out the job. Think of me as your manager."

Gabriel seemed to think it over.

"I should let you know, you may be asked to eliminate people with high morals. You may be asked to kill a good man."

"Am I getting paid?" Gabriel asked.

"After every job. Do we have a deal?" Jerome asked, sticking out his hand.

Gabriel thought about how it felt running away from the guard, that rush of adrenaline pumping. The money would have to be negotiated by Jerome, but he could work his way up. All he needed was a gun, and a way in.

"Deal," Gabriel said, shaking Jerome's hand.

From that day forward Gabriel the contract killer was born, and he soon became the most feared man in the Capital Wasteland.


	7. Chapter 6: The Forge

LOG ENTRY

April 21st, 2287

I've carried on assisting the Brotherhood, as my original mission was. My knowledge of construction helped me to create a radio beacon to the Citadel, allowing for more applicants to come in. Cross has sent me to find some strong metal to repair the weakened parts of the Citadel's borders. She says some strong metal can be found in the Robot Repair Center, up in Canterbury Commons.

I'm still not sure who sent me that strange holotape, or how it got there. I've held off talking to Lizzie, but I want to get the tape analyzed and see where it came from.

More later.  
LOG TERMINATED

April 22nd, 2287  
Citadel Lab

"Can you help me, Scribe?" I asked the head Scribe impatiently.

:"Yes, yes, just give me a moment," the head Scribe said absentmindedly. "Ok, what is it?"

"Can you have this holotape analyzed?" I asked.

"I certainly can, Sentinel. I-if you don't mind me asking, why?"

"I'd like to find where it came from. Where it was sent." I said.

"I can do that. I should have it ready by the time you get back from Canterbury Commons," the Head Scribe said.

I thanked the scribe and headed northeast to Canterbury Commons.

I hate walking. I wish General Atomics would've invented the hovercraft. My feet are killing me. I talked with some guy named Uncle Roe, told him I needed some strong metal. He said the Mechanist's Forge was defunct now, but I could get it working with some help. When I asked him how it went defunct, all he said was that some guy rolled in here ten years ago and killed two people, one of whom operated the forge.

"Anyways, I can help you get the forge running, but you'll have to eliminate those Protectrons that are still in there. Salvage every one you kill, you'll need them to make the metal. Come with me," Roe said. So I followed him up to the Robot Repair Center.

"Down this hall," Roe pointed, and I followed him down the hall to an elevator.

"Tough lock. I can get through, just give me a moment," Roe said.

I noticed Protectrons started to filter in down the halls. I began shooting at them. More started to pour in until I was sure there weren't any more. They started to advance closer.

"Roe!" I yelled. "How's it coming over there?"

"It's *ergh!* good!" he said. "Almost- there! Got it!"

The doors to the elevator slid open. I picked off the last of the Protectrons. Roe helped me carry all of the scrap into the elevator.

"You'll need 'em," he explained as we took the elevator down to the Mechanist's Forge.

When the elevator arrived, we hauled all of the scrap towards the forge and set it down. Roe set to work on firing up the forge.

"Needs power," he called. "Can you go find a breaker somewhere?"

I found the breaker mounted on the wall. I flipped the switch. Roe had an intense look on his face.

"I have to switch some wires. If I connect the wrong wires I'll either get shocked or this forge will never work again," Roe said. He connected one more wire and lights switched on everywhere and the forge's parts began to work.

"Excellent. Now let me help you get the- OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT!?" Roe yelled at the giant robot rising out of a hidden platform. A Sentry Bot.

"Get behind cover!" I yelled at Roe, who dove behind some kind of machine.

I ran to the left, trying to dodge the machine gun bullets the bot shot at me. I knew if I shot him too much, he'd explode, and damage the forge, so I either needed a way to immobilize him, or kill him in a way that wouldn't make him blow up… THE FORGE. If I could find a way to knock the bot into the forge, he'd be melted down and I'd have extra materials!

"Roe! Is there a way to get this Sentry Bot into the forge?" I asked.

"I think there was a lift to get above weight objects," Roe said. "I can try and activate it, but you have to keep me alive."

I was amazed that Roe was willing to sacrifice himself. "You better work fast," I said.

As it turns out, the Sentry Bot's core overheated, and it froze. I began wheeling it towards where the lift was. Right as the bot's back panel cover closed, I grabbed the Fusion Cores and ripped them out, rendering the Sentry Bot useless.

Roe finished the mechanism and the lift pushed the bot up, and into the forge. I then began putting all of the Protectrons on the line to the forge. I thanked Roe for all his help and asked him if there was a way I could repay him. He told us that sometimes he feared for the safety of the Commons and asked if a few Paladins could come up and protect them. I told him I would see to it that they'd be up there. "I have to send some people up here anyways, to get the metal and bring it back to the Citadel," I explained. It felt really nice to see the people of the Commons smile at me and wave as I left.

The Citadel

When I got back to the Citadel, I remembered that the head scribe was tracking the lead with the tape. I went back to him and asked how it was going. He handed me the results without further question and went back to his work.

I scanned the results to find the triangulation of where it was sent. I thought I had missed it, but I looked over again and found the results of the location. The mystery holotape was sent from…

Betty's Famous Diner, near the D.C area. Kind of underwhelming if you ask me.

User "Gabriel" signed in.

LOG ENTRY

No no no no no no no no! That upstart Sentinel found me! I completely forgot he has the Brotherhood on his side! I never thought he'd analyze the holotape. Great. Now what do I do? For starters, I need to move locations. And fast. Second, send him a message. Tell him what happens when you try and pull a fast one on Gabriel. I should get in touch with a friend of mine, see what we can do…

LOG TERMINATED.

Author's Note:

Hey there! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! If you aren't, well, then… thanks for reading it anyways? Anywho, if you enjoyed the story, please give it a review or a favorite. I enjoy writing, and it motivates me to write when I see that you guys are enjoying it too! More to come with the story soon.  
-Omega


	8. Chapter 7: Friends and Enemies

LOG ENTRY

April 25th, 2287.

It has been an insane last few days. A band of Super Mutants tried to capture the Citadel. We put a stop to them without too many casualties, but the medics are still working tirelessly. In other news, Matthew and Alex came and talked to me and told me I needed to talk to Lizzie. They said they were tired of her bossing them around, and could I please talk to her? Petty, petty. I told them no. I listened back at the old holotapes and I remembered my conversation with Lizzie.

"He knew an intelligent Super Mutant named Fawkes…"

Of course! I completely forgot about the Super Mutant! He would've kept travelling with the Wanderer AFTER Project Purity! Possibly, even up to his death… He'd know something.

If I can find that Mutant, I can crack this case.

LOG TERMINATED

April 29th, 2287.

Fawkes looked down at the Mole Rat he'd just killed. "I'm sorry it came to that," Fawkes rasped. He lumbered on, past Vault 101. He sighed. The Wanderer's death was nearly a month ago, and he still felt burdened with grief. Despite the fact that the Wanderer saved him, he could not save the Wanderer.

"You must let it go, Fawkes…" he said to himself. "You couldn't have known it would've played out like this." Events began to spiral in his head. His mind rushed back to the day it happened…

March 26th, 2287  
Just west of the Citadel

"Where are we headed this time, friend?" Fawkes growled at the Wanderer.

"Not far, Fawkes. I got word of a stash of some kind down by a power station," the Wanderer replied, walking ahead.

Time passed quickly as the two kept walking towards the station. Fawkes suddenly drew out his Super Sledge.

"I feel like something isn't right here… We should go," Fawkes warned.

"I'll just be a moment, Fawkes, relax. I'll be perfe-"

An earsplitting BANG!

A loud crack.

The sound of a bullet piercing someone's skull.

The Wanderer fell into the ditch near the power station. He lay there, not moving. Fawkes knew. He knew the hero of the Wasteland, his savior, this man… was dead.

Fawkes wasn't sure where to go. Not many places are going to be friendly towards a giant meta-human. He wandered off aimlessly, the loud bang still ringing in his ears.

In the distance he heard someone scream for help and a gunshot ring out. He started running.

He was still wandering around for a month. He was walking past Megaton when he saw Harden Simms wave him down.

"I've got a message for you," said Harden. "Someone's looking for you."

Fawkes saw a man in a suit of Power Armor walk up to him.

"If you help us out, we can help you…" the man said.

April 29th, 2287.

Betty's Famous Diner

Gabriel should be here somewhere. I know it.

"Fan out. Search the immediate vicinity. Look for some kind of clue to his whereabouts," I snapped at Lizzie and Matthew.

They complied, walking out of the diner, grumbling about how lucky Alex was to not be here.

"Uhh… Are you SURE we'll find anything here?" Fawkes rasped to me.

"In time, Virg- I mean, Fawkes," I corrected hastily. I saw Fawkes' eyes narrow.

"How'd you find this place?" Fawkes asked. "Why are we here?"

"I believe whoever shot your friend is holed up here. He sent me a holotape warning me not to investigate. I had it traced to here."

Fawkes looked upset. "It wasn't your fault," I added quickly.

"No, no, I was just thinking about this man who shot my friend. I wonder what he's like."

"Probably nothing good," I answered. "Let's check upst-"

I was cut off by Matthew calling to me. "Sentinel Atwater! Sentinel! I think we've got something here!"

Fawkes and I ran out towards Matthew. He was standing next to a tiny little hatch underneath a dumpster. I tried to push it out of the way, but it refused to budge. I kept pushing until Fawkes remarked "You humans are so weak" and pushed the dumpster away from the hatch. I gestured at him.

"You first," I said.

Underground Bunker

Fawkes and I walked through the bunker, keeping an eye out for ghouls or machine gun turrets or Sentry Bots. Lizzie and Matthew brought up the rear.

The bunker was a few tiny rooms carved out of rock. A half-eaten plate of food lay on a table next to a sink and a box filled with Rad-Away. Whoever had built this was obviously familiar with the term "desperate measures." As we pressed on, we saw a little tunnel built into the side of his bathroom. A box of .308 caliber rounds lay on the floor. We walked on further. A tiny ampoule of Rad-X on the ground. Someone had left in a hurry.

We entered into a wide space. A bed lay in one corner. A shelf was next to it. It had an entire clinic's worth of stimpaks and Rad-Aways and enough chems to kill a large elephant, if they were still around nowadays.

"Hey. A terminal," Matthew pointed out. I examined the terminal, but it was broken. I noticed a bullet hole was right through the center of it.

"Smart. He doesn't want anyone to search his terminal. Clever," Fawkes noted.

"There's a button under his desk," Lizzie said.

"This is way too familiar," I remarked, hitting the button to watch part of the wall give way.

"How did he engineer this?!" I yelled. We walked down the path it made, ending finally at a cavernous hall. I was amazed that this bunker was so huge, and then I remembered there was a quarry nearby. This must've been how it was so big.

Lights suddenly switched on. We instinctively shielded our eyes from the light. When we opened them, we saw a man standing on an elevated platform next to two turrets.

Gabriel.

"I'm amazed you tracked me down," Gabriel yelled over the whirring of the turrets. "Were I not extremely angry and wanting to kill you, I'd probably shake your hand! Of course, you get all the fancy gadgets when you're the Brotherhood's lapdog!"

"Gabriel! It's over! We have you now! Come with us and we can end this peacefully!" I shouted back.

"Not a chance! Who's going to stop me! I have a way out! You DON'T!" Gabriel screamed. "I'm gonna go now. Things will only get worse if you follow me. Oh, and also…"

Gabriel pressed a button on the wall. "This hideout's useless. Time to blow it up!"

We heard a distant rumbling. Matthew and Lizzie shot the turrets, blowing them up. We climbed up the rock face and then clambered up the ladder to the outside.

Gabriel had disappeared by the time we all were there.

"NO NO NO!" I yelled.

"Hey, wait! I see him! Over there!" Fawkes called.

I pulled out the Victory Rifle that belonged to the Wanderer and took aim. I held my breath and pulled the trigger. Through the scope I saw Gabriel flinch slightly as he ran out of my line of sight. I don't know where I hit him.

"Let's go back to the Citadel," Matthew suggested.

The Citadel

We arrived late at night but were shocked to see everyone buzzing about something.

"...can't believe it happened…"

"this sort of thing is so…"

"how is this possible…"

We wandered down into the barracks where we met with a despondent looking Elder Cross.

"Cross, what happened?" I said, panic building up inside of me.

"You'd better go see… see for…" She didn't finish, only waved us towards the barracks as she started to cry.

When the four of us showed up at the barracks we could see there was a commotion. Doctors and Scribes crowded around a bed.

"Excuse me… excuse me…" I said weakly as I pushed through the crowd, the panic rising into my chest.

People in the crowd were crying. The doctors looked somber.

I pushed my way up to the front of the crowd and immediately saw why everyone was crying.

There, lying in his bed, was Alex, a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. A tiny note was laying on his chest. I picked up, and read it. It simply said:

"I warned you, Sentinel. - G"

My head started to spin. I felt faint. I stumbled out of the barracks and collapsed when I reached my room.

May 6th, 2287.

LOG ENTRY

It's been a week since Alex's death. The events of the day were still very fresh in everyone's mind. A lot of people hated me, said I was to blame for Alex's death and that this sort of thing can't happen. I couldn't exactly disagree, I mean, the note pretty clearly made it my fault.

I called a meeting a few days ago and told everyone that I was not going back to the Commonwealth just yet. I still had things I needed to finish for the Brotherhood here. I told everyone the truth about my investigation into Gabriel and the Wanderer and that it was my carelessness that got Alex killed. I took full responsibility.

Cross spoke next and said she disagreed. She said this was the work of Gabriel, trying to spread hatred and distrust. She said I was still welcome and that I had no way of knowing it was my fault.

Finally, I sent a message to Elder Maxson back home telling him to bring me Nick Valentine or I wasn't coming back to the Commonwealth. His message was onscreen in less than an hour. It said, "The synth is on his way."

LOG TERMINATED

I sat down in a chair next to the Citadel's helipad. A vertibird from the Commonwealth was due to arrive any second with Nick. I had told Nick everything that had happened thus far in the Capital Wasteland and he agreed to come help me out.

A slight whirring in the air grew louder as the Vertibird pulled into the helipad. Nick Valentine hopped out and walked towards me.

"Well well, my favorite Sentinel," he remarked. "How's your time in the Capital Wasteland been?"

"Well it was great, until you showed up," I said sarcastically.

"If you can crack jokes, I think you're fine," Nick said. "Oh- one more thing. Someone else came with me. Wouldn't let me go if they couldn't, they said."

"Who could that be?" I said, when I saw them hop out of the Vertibird.

"Hey there Blue. You holding up ok?" Piper said as she walked towards me, giving me a big hug.

"It's the beginning of a bad joke," I remarked. "A Sentinel, a reporter and a synth all walk into a bar…"

The three of us laughed.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! This is kinda the unofficial end of "Act I", I guess. Don't worry, I won't take a super-long hiatus or anything. Uploads will still be regular. See you guys soon! Anyways, thanks for reading along!  
-Omega.**


	9. Chapter 8: A Twisted Web We Weave

I noticed Piper heading my way before she spotted me. I quickly finished my Nuka-Cola and turned to face her.

"Hey there, Simon," she said. "How're you holding up?"

"Good to see you again, Piper. I've been fine. Sure nice of the Brotherhood to let you stay here."

"Eh, I could've been fine wherever, really. I'd just break into Rivet City," said Piper, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes. "Right. I should really keep a watch on what kind of laws there are here… and how many of them you plan on breaking. Nick should've been back by now. What's taking him so l-"

I never got to finish the sentence before good ol' Nick Valentine burst through the door. All we needed to hear was the four words that escaped from his artificial lips: "I've got an idea."

We walked down to the Citadel's lab, down to the radio broadcasting station. "Piper, you… uh, you might want to take Simon out of the room for this."

"Not a chance there, Mr. Valentine," I interjected. "Whatever you're about to do, it involves me."

"Simple then. I'm gonna appeal to Mr. Gabriel's ego. I'm gonna broadcast a message, but…" Nick said.

"But what?" I asked.

"I'm gonna need to call back that grizzled merc we took out."

I fell back. Piper stuck her arms under me, supporting me so I could stand. "Whoa, hang on there Blue, it's ok…" she reassured. "Jesus, Nick, don't you think he's been through enough?"

"I know it's risky but what else can we do? His head's bigger than my line of unfinished cases down at the agency! If I can pull Kellogg's voice to send him a message, his ego will tell him to respond. It sounds crazy, I know, but… but… well, I don't have anything else," Nick admitted quietly.

"Nick. That won't work, you have to understand. It's too flawed. Just forget it. We lost," I admitted begrudgingly.

"I-I'm sorry," Nick said, looking at the floor. "I know you wanted to catch that guy… I've let you down."

Piper shook her head and said, "You were trying to help. Don't beat yourself up. It's like I told Blue, you're still on the up-and-up."

Nick's face played a tiny smile. "Thanks, Piper. I just wish we could've done something. Now we're here in the Capital Wasteland with nothing to do." I told him otherwise, saying that the Brotherhood still needed our help.

"Didn't you also promise to help that mutant with something?" Piper asked.

I thought about this for a moment. I then realized that we hadn't seen Fawkes. I began to panic slightly, then decided to check the Citadel. Fawkes couldn't have gone far. I began to walk all around the Citadel, getting increasingly worried, until I heard Fawkes' voice grumbling in the distance.

"Don't you lie to me! You HAVE to be able to tell what it was! You HAVE TO!" Fawkes was yelling. I ran up to him. He was yelling at the young quartermaster, who had gone white as a sheet.

"Whoa, Fawkes, what's up here?" I asked.

"I'm trying to find out the make of this gun!" Fawkes said agitatedly. "It was the gun they used to kill Alex!"

The quartermaster yelled out "WHAT!?" and I turned to Fawkes. "How did you know this!?" I questioned.

"Because I found the gun tossed away," Fawkes explained.

By this time a considerable crowd had gathered around Fawkes. Elder Cross herself was among the ranks. I called for her and when she pushed to the front I asked her about this weapon. She glanced at it and told me it was a modified 10mm pistol. "It's usually only given to our senior officers, typically Paladins or Knight-Captains," Cross said. I guess the look on my face told her something. "You aren't seriously suggesting one of MY elite members did this, are you!?"

I reasoned that either one of the elite members was indeed responsible, or Fawkes' information was suspect. The crowd was growing into uproar and their exclamations of disbelief put a lump in my throat. Cross declared an investigation. I explained to Fawkes that they were going to ask him questions about this gun and where he found it.

"I certainly hope they don't think I did it," Fawkes growled. I told him this wasn't the case.

I turned to Piper and Nick, who had joined me. "Piper. I need you to use your reporter skills. Keep up with the investigation and let me know if any news breaks. Use my terminal in my room to link with my Pip-Boy.

I faced Nick. "Nick, pal, I hate to ask this, but we're gonna need to resort to your original plan. Kellogg might just lure Gabriel. I'm certain he's the mastermind behind all of this." Nick nodded and we headed towards the transmission room. I pulled out my gun, just in case Nick started trying to kill me. Nick flipped the "RECORDING" switch and began to talk.

"Heh heh heh…" Kellogg/Nick began. "I'm told there's a man here in the wastes known as Gabriel… An assassin. Well, old Gabe, there's an assassin here who'd like to meet with you… I'm at the Citadel. I've wiped all these tech-heads out."

I noticed a message on the recording terminal. It seemed someone was trying to send us a message. I pressed the play button and Gabriel's harsh voice cut in.

"You think you can put one over on me, Vault Boy? Not a chance! That isn't really Kellogg. You'll never find out where I am!"

I immediately burned that sound file onto a holotape and pressed it into an analyzer. I had no idea what it did but I needed to trace it immediately, without waiting for the Head Scribe to take hours to do it. The machine spit out a list of paper telling me the duration of the message, what model the holotape was, its point of origin and where it was sent from. The holotape was sent from a place up north. It was called Eagle's Point.

Nick, now back to normal, turned to me and said, "Let's get this guy."

I wasn't sure what I was going to find at Eagle's Point. All I knew was Gabriel was there. With the Wanderer dead and a mole in the Citadel, I was certain finding Gabriel might unravel the secrets someone was trying very hard to keep.


	10. Chapter 9: Revelations

Eagle's Point

Gabriel inhaled deeply, breathing in and out. He dropped the .44 magnum revolver he was holding on a picnic table. Eagle's Point must've been some kind of picnicking spot before the war. Gabriel had cleared it out and established a temporary shelter here as a fallback point. There was a tiny shack at the back. It had a bed, a table, and two lockers. In one locker he had a sniper rifle, a 10mm pistol and an assault rifle. At the bottom were cases upon cases of ammo. In the other locker was a suit of reinforced combat armor. On his table sat a box of Stimpaks, Rad-Aways and a wide variety of chems. Gabriel hated chems, but he couldn't deny the edge they gave him in battle. He reached into the box and grabbed a stimpak. He injected it quickly into his left arm. He looked at it and swore under his breath.

His left forearm was completely gone. The Sentinel had shot it off when he fled Betty's Diner. His rage towards the Sentinel burned very bright, and he had to remind himself to think rationally about the situation. He went to the locker and pulled out a case of .44 rounds and the set of combat armor.

Gabriel dressed quickly into the combat armor and reloaded his .44 magnum. He didn't have much time. He had to leave quickly. He grabbed a handful of Stimpaks and raced away from Eagle's Point. He had no idea where to go. His mind flashed on hideouts lost and found... and promptly settled on a perfect idea. An idea that could allow him to live comfortably for a long time. He just needed a way in.

Eagle's Point

"Stay behind me, Fawkes," I said. I crept up the pathway to Eagle's Point. When I was at the top, I drew out my favorite 10mm and jumped out into the open. No one was there.  
"Did we find the wrong place?"Fawkes asked.  
"I'm sure he's here! He has to be!" I yelled. I saw a shack at the back of the flat cliff. I kicked down the door and waved my gun around. Nothing was there. I surveyed the area and found a bed, two lockers, and a desk with a box of chems and medical agents. A discarded terminal sat in the corner, a bullet hole through it. Gabriel had escaped.

Evergreen Mills

Gabriel walked past a group of drunk Raiders. He had had to learn to deal with their antics. They were barely organized and drunk as skunks most days. They did have a really great trader deep in the bowels of the Mills called Smiling Jack. These past few years, some Raiders hadn't taken kindly to his prices and Jack now sported a few scars across his cheek. Gabriel walked up to the bar where Jack was standing and sat down.

"My my, Gabe," Jack said. "Look who came crawling back. What can I do for you?"

"I have a plan to be safe for a while. A safehouse where no one could get to us. I'd just need a way in." Gabriel's face was intense.

"Where could you possibly hide?" Jack quipped.

"Vault 101," answered Gabriel.

"You're joking," Jack said. "No one goes in! The Vault's been sealed for a long time! I mean, yeah, it had that brief trading period 10 years ago, but that Overseer chick closed it down! And even if you could, there's all of those residents! It'd be full-blown slaughter!"

"I know what I'm asking you to do is crazy, Jack. I know. It's a Vault. All I need are some explosives to break open the door."

"Wouldn't it be easier to tunnel in? Y'know, instead of BUSTING DOWN THE FRONT DOOR?" Jack queried.

"Can you give me the explosives or not?" Gabriel challenged.

"These puppies don't come cheap, you know. C-4. I have a limited supply, but yes, I have them," Jack said.

"Hand 'em over," Gabriel said. He watched as Jack opened a safe in the floor and took out 5 C-4 explosives and a detonator.

"2500," Jack said.

"2000," Gabriel said.

"2250," Jack bargained.

"1750," Gabriel said, his eyes fierce.

"2 grand," Jack finally said.

"Thank you," Gabriel said, shaking Jack's hand and taking the explosives. He threw a case of caps on the desk. "Feel free to count them if you don't believe me!" Gabriel called as he left the Mills. He had no intention of breaking into a Vault yet. He had bought those explosives to serve two purposes. He needed to send a message. He started heading in the direction of Vault 101.

Megaton

"Say it!" Gabriel was yelling.  
"N-never!" Harden was yelling.  
Gabriel drew his revolver and fired three shots in a triangle around Harden's head.  
"J-Jesus..." Harden said. "OK! I'll do it!" He cleared his throat and said aloud, "Sentinel Atwater. I need to see you immediately. The future of Megaton depends on it." "Are you happy?" Harden asked.

"Very," said Gabriel. As he turned to leave, he threw Harden to the ground and fired his two remaining shots into Harden's leg and his arm. Then he left went towards Vault 101.

Megaton

I hurried towards the Megaton gate. The message from Harden sounded urgent. I was about to walk through the gate when a bullet whizzed past my ear. It was Gabriel. Putting Harden from my mind, I raced towards Gabriel. He disappeared through the door. I gave pursuit, Fawkes right beside me. We ran towards the door. Fawkes picked up speed, closing in on the door. He was about to walk through it when a giant fireball burst through the air and a deafening thunderclap staggered me. I heard a scream from Fawkes and his corpse was launched back. I saw him sigh a final sigh, and die. Through a haze of smoke, I saw Gabriel run away from the now destroyed pathway to the Vault. Everything was gone from my mind. My only goal was placing this man's head on a pike. I drew out a .44 magnum revolver. I still felt sick looking at it. It belonged to the man who shot my wife, took my son, stole everything from me. Kellogg. I fired a few shots into the distance. I couldn't run much longer, but I knew Gabriel couldn't either. I began to close in on him. With every step I drew closer. I fired a round at his leg and watched him collapse to the ground. I tackled him.

"Game over," I said. "You lose."

He coughed. "Do you think... this changes anything! Open... your eyes. You've been blind from the start. The Brotherhood is dead. Chasing a set of false ideals, trying desperately to cling to anything that can save them from this harsh reality. Save the Capital Wasteland. Right. Your arrival was the nail in the coffin for this chapter. The stand-in Elder Cross won't be able to protect these people. It's time for a change. The new Brotherhood will rise from the ashes of the old. I would've been its champion, had you not caught me."

"You... had an inside man," I realized.

"Well done. I'd applaud if you weren't crushing my hands right now. I'll admit, you've been a thorn in my side for a while. The idea of founding this new Brotherhood didn't start from me. It came from someone inside who brought the idea to me. He's been a good servant, and he'll be rewarded. I've already given him plenty. By the time you return, he'll have put a bullet in Cross' brain and his troops will have already quelled the rebellion. The Brotherhood has legions of unsettled followers, all looking for a change. Some stayed back, hoping for a change. Others hopped on an airship and left for the Commonwealth."

"There are traitors on the Prydwen? No. No, that can't be!" I said.

"There are more than you know. My associate has had them in his pocket this whole time. Think to the reason you were brought here. And with who? Who gave you your orders? A Paladin. Who'd you come here with? Lizzie, Alex, and Matthew. Alex and Matthew were troublesome lots, but Alex is now dead and Matthew will be soon. Lizzie, though, she was my ultimate pawn."

"Lizzie brought me the holotapes..." I said.

"And he finally realizes it! Everywhere you go, people are waiting for change! And it happens today!" Gabriel was laughing.

"Enough chatter. Who's your inside man?" I demanded.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you. You would've found out soon enough, anyway."

I raised my gun over Gabriel's head. "Tell me!" I spat.

"Kill me," Gabriel said.

A nearby rumble caused me to stand up and look back. I realized my error right as Gabriel had managed to stand up. I pointed my gun directly at his chest and fired.

Blood started pooling around Gabriel. "I'm surprised you don't know," Gabriel coughed. "Haven't you noticed the clues? The way I sign my letters? The pistol used to kill Alex? G?" Gabriel started a coughing fit and his breathing was labored. "Find Hangman. That's my inside man." He coughed a final spray of blood, and was still. The menace to the Capital Wasteland was dead.

I thought about this final revelation of Gabriel. When the answer hit me, it was simple.

The pistol was an elite officer's pistol. Only the high-ups had it. Gabriel signed his letters with a "G". I assumed this meant "Gabriel", but what if it was someone different. The final clue was Hangman. Hangman was a form of execution. Someone in the Citadel went by "Hangman." This person didn't exactly go by that name, but it was a similar vein. I had to get back to the Citadel. I needed to confront this mastermind, this traitor. I knew exactly who he was.

The traitor was Knight-Captain Gallows.


	11. Chapter 10: Snow

The Citadel

Gallows smiled to himself. He stood in the Elder's bedroom, standing over an unconscious Elder Cross. Everything had gone exactly as Gabriel had predicted. It was perfect. An Outcast Paladin knew all of the inner workings of the Citadel. Gabriel was doing some freelance work as a contract killer when one of his contracts had required him to become a Brotherhood Soldier. Gabriel enjoyed the position, so he had run with it for a while. It was only when Elder Lyons became increasingly firm on his stances that he worried he would become an Outcast. He needed an ally, and he found Gallows.

Gallows had just been removed from the Lyons' Pride at the Elder's behest. After Sarah's death, Lyons had become firm in his beliefs. Unfortunately, Gallows' "greater-good" mentality clashed with the "preservation" mentality of Lyons. A displaced Gallows had the ability and the tenacity to make Gabriel's plan a reality. They had been partners ever since.

It had been very simple, really. After killing one of the Paladins, he knew to wait until the Sentinel left for Eagle's Point. All he had to do then was cut radio communications. All that was left was for his hidden followers to come out of the woodwork and establish control. Most of the loyalists had been killed, but some had fled to other parts of the Capital Wasteland. He had some of his troops hunting down the remaining. Much to his chagrin, the remainder of the Lyons' Pride had cut through quite a number of his forces before tactically retreating. He had sent some of his very best to track them down, and to report back to him. He wanted the pleasure of storming their hideout and declaring victory.

He knelt down before the unconscious Cross. "Sorry about this, Cross. If only you could've seen this coming. Oh well. You won't see anything ever again in just a second." He drew his special Officer's Pistol out of his holster, and calmly pressed it to Cross' temple. He did not flinch as he squeezed the trigger. Cross was dead.

The Capital Wasteland

I had left Vault 101 a few hours ago. The path to the Citadel was long, and it would take quite an effort to reach. A lot of mirelurks and Super Mutants populated the metro tunnels, which of course was the route I had to take to get to the Citadel. I wasn't sure if I would expect a fight. I wasn't sure if Gallows was planning anything. My best bet was to get back to the Citadel as fast as I could, and find a plan from there. I kept on walking.

 _Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot._ I was interrupted from my mantra by a young Brotherhood Initiate running towards me. "You!" she called. Unsure of why she was here, out in the middle of nowhere, I walked towards her, holding my pistol, but not raising it at her.

"Um, are-are you, the, uh, the Sentinel? Sentinel... Atwater?" she asked, raising both of her hands in front of her head in some kind of self-defense 'please-don't-kill-me' sort of way.

"Uh, yes. Yes I am. Why are you out here all the way in the middle of nowhere?" I asked.

"It's... it's... oh God... they... they just..." She broke down and started crying.

"Take it easy, it's okay. What's happened?" I asked, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I did not like where this conversation was headed.

"A bunch of soldiers... Knight-Captain Gallows. He just staged a revolt. So many of the Brotherhood stood beside him... It was a massacre. They killed everyone they could, even the ones trying to run away."

"Oh my God..." I said. Apparently Gallows had been busy while I was gone. "How did you escape?" I asked the young Initiate.

"I was near the Pride when it happened. The Pride had stayed behind and fought some of the soldiers off. I tried to fight, but I'm not the greatest, and certainly not against so many. The Pride finally retreated, and when they saw me, they told me to come along. They tried to get as many out as they could."

"Are the members of the Pride still alive?" I asked, feeling a slight glimmer of hope.

"Yes they are," she said. "The Pride had long ago established temporary outposts for their excursions in the Wastes," the Initiate explained.

"Where are they?" I asked her intently.

"They're hiding in one of their newer outposts, so Gallows won't know where they are. They're hiding in a hidden research bunker, built before the war. I'll give you its coordinates." She input the coordinates into my Pip-Boy. It was a bunker hidden near some nightclub in the downtown D.C. area. It was well-concealed, and would take a lot of traveling to get to. Most of the routes to the nightclub were blocked by mounds of rubble.

"Wait," I said suddenly. "How did you find me? Why are you all the way out here?"

"Oh," she said. "Well, the Pride sent me to find you. They knew your last destination was Eagle's Point. I arrived there, and when I didn't find you I stopped at Megaton. I asked around there and found out about some explosions that they heard nearby. I checked out Vault 101 and just kept searching from there. Oh, that reminds me. You'll need a passcode to get into the bunker. The passcode is 'watermelon'."

"Thanks. You'd better come with me. It's a long walk back to the bunker. Thanks, Initiate... um..." I said.

"Snow," she finished. "Initiate Valerie Snow."

"Thanks, Snow," I finished, and the two of us set off towards the bunker.


	12. Chapter 11: The Pride

Downtown D.C.

Snow kept an even pace as we exited yet another metro station.

"We're getting closer," she said. "There's an old building just a little bit away. That's where we're headed."

The two of us walked side by side, killing the occasional radroach that scuttled across our path. We were talking about how she came to join the Brotherhood.

"Used to live on a farm," said Snow. "One day I was out for a walk, trying to find a Brahmin that got out of its pen, and I saw a whole bunch of Raiders near a Brotherhood patrol. I grabbed my gun and fired at them. I was looking for some excitement, and hopefully to be able to protect my family a little. She took off her hood and let her long, auburn hair fall back. She brushed a few stray hairs away from her deep, brown eyes and smiled. "Hey, maybe I'd meet some friends along the way? Anyways, I haven't been here for too long. Six months, that's all."

I nodded. "This looks like the building coming up. It was a derelict office building. "Is this where it's hidden?"

She laughed. "No, no. We have to get to the 18th floor, and then get out the other side. Then we'll find it."

We entered the building. A massive pile of rubble was separating the door on the other side - where we wanted to be - from us. There was an elevator, but the power was burnt out.

"Looks like we're taking the stairs," Snow sighed.

"Maybe not," I said, pointing to an active terminal. It took a few tries to crack, but I eventually got in and managed to restore power to the elevator. We hopped in and rode it to the floor we needed to. It was a relatively simple task to walk down the remaining 17 flights of stairs to the other side. When we exited, Snow pointed to a large building nearby.

"That's the nightclub? That's where we're going?" I asked.

"Yes, that's the nightclub, but that's not where we're going." She pointed to a smaller building right next to it with a sign labeled "Adrian's Outfits."

"Classy place to hide a research station," I remarked.

Federal Research Station #137A

We walked into the store and were met with a very destroyed shop interior. Snow led me to the back of the shop, where in the manager's office there was a bookshelf. She slid the bookshelf aside and revealed a hidden door with a terminal. Entering the passcode, she stepped back and waited. The door slid open and we went down a flight of stairs. There were rooms on either side of us, which I guessed contained years of valuable data.

"The Pride should be in the armory," said Snow. The two of us walked past a rather large common area, a mess hall, and finally to the armory at the end of the hall. A thick, bank-vault style door blocked our entrance.

"Why would they need an armory in a research station?" I asked.

"This was an R&D research station. Some prototype schematics for weapons and armor are in this place. Some are still in perfect condition," she explained as she typed 'watermelon' into the bank-vault terminal.

The door opened with a loud creak, and I was suddenly face-to-helmet with 5 armed figures, all pointing guns at my face. I slowly raised my hands above my head. The others lowered their weapons.

"I see Snow tracked you down," remarked a female soldier. "Come on in, and close the door behind you."

I did as instructed. The others all removed their helmets. "You remember me," said one of the men. "Paladin Kodiak. You've also met Colvin, I believe. These three are Dusk, Vargas and Glade." I said a brief hello.

"It's a good thing Snow found you. We're in a bad way here. As you no doubt discovered, Gallows has staged a revolt. Filthy traitor's been working with Gabriel the whole time. The two of them together are quite the powerhouse," lamented Kodiak.

"Well, Gabriel's dead, if it's any consolation," I said.

"Now that is something," remarked Dusk.

"Well, now that you're here, you might wanna stock up. Take whatever's necessary from the armory. I think there's some more experimental tech down in the R&D wing, but no one's been able to access it," said Glade.

"Sad but true. We've tried, but none of us can find the code," added Kodiak.

We were interrupted by a very loud thud.

"What's that?" exclaimed Dusk.

"Alright Pride, we got some company. Everyone head to your established positions, we'll take them by surprise. Initiate, you stay behind. I don't want you to get killed. Sentinel, are you okay to follow me?" asked Kodiak.

"Absolutely. Lead the way," I said, wondering who found us and how many there were.

I followed Kodiak to a little alcove. "Ready?" he asked, checking his ammo count for his laser rifle.

"Ready," I said, and I was. The door was finally breached, and came crashing down.


End file.
